Clutch for window regulators



1,628,672 P. J. KuRsHElD-r E1- AL.

'CLUTCH Fon wINDow REGULAToRs' original Filed April '29; 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTJORNEY s vMay 17, 1927./ 1,628,672

' i -P. J. KURSCHEIDT ET AL CLQTGH FOR WINDOW HEGULATORS originan FildApril 29 1922 2 sheets-.sheet 2 lIglllll il ATTORNEY Cil Patented May17, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT 0MB- PETER JOHN KURSCHEDT, OF WOODHAVEN, AND HARRYE. NORWOOD, OF BROOK- LYiv, NEW YORK.

CLUTCH FOR WINDOW REGULATORS.

Original application filed April 29, 1922, Serial No. 557,470. Dividedand this application led April 28,`

1926. Serial No. 105,061.

Our invention relates to window regulators adapted to raise or lower a.window upon rotation in the proper direction of a rotatable crank orhandle which is mounted on the device and operatively connected with y rsimplicity of construction and of ease of operation, theinventionconsisting in the novell parts and combinations thereof hereinafter moreparticularly described and then specified in the claims:

,ln the accompanying drawing illustrating a. practical embodiment of theinvention Fig, l, is a front elevation of the Window regulator. 'f

Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the upper portion of the device on theline 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a section taken through the upper portion of the device.

llig. is a side elevation of the crank shaft.

Fig. 5 is an end View thereof.

Fig. (l is a front elevation of the clutch driving member.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of thedriven member.

Referring in detail to the several figures the. lower part of which isindicated at 2.`

3 indicates a. plate which is mounted on and secured to the lower part 2in any desirable manner while 4 indicates a cover plate which is screwedto said plate by suitable screws 5 and which forms with said plate 3 ahousing containing a clutch and other mechanism to loe presentlydescribed. A vertical depending bar or strap 6 is fastened at its upperend to the plate 3 and at its lower end to a cross-bar 7 which isdetachably secured to the side walls of other parts of the window well.

An endlessdriving chain 27 passes over an upper sprocket 28. which ismounted on the plate 3 and a lower sprocket 2O supported on the bar 6.The chain 27 is connected to the window l by means of a roller stud 29engaging in a slot of a plate 30 which is secured to and depends fromthe lower side of the window. a housingk and connected with mechanismwithin said housing formed by the cover plate 4 and plate 3 wherebyrotation of said handle willrotate the upper sprocket 28, therebycausingl the chain 27 to travel around the upper and lower sprocketsthus effecting a raising and lowering of the window de" pending on thedirection of rotation given the handle.

32 indicates a crank shaft which isv provided with hub portions 33 and34 rotatably received `by an annular neck 35 pressed out from the platel and a removable bearing 36, respectively, the bearing `being receivedand held within an opening in the plate 3 (see Fig. The handle or crank3l is secured to the end of said shaft 32 in any desirable manner. Theshaft is provided with a substantially rectangularly shapeddrivingmember actuator 37 preferably integra-l therewith and having fiatsides and rounded endsand also end tlanges 38 slidably fittingintermediate the plate t and the driving member 42 referred to below.The flanges 38 act to prevent rocking or displacement of f the clutchparts.

The iixed clutch member 39 is provided with pins 40 extending throughdepressions in the plate 4L the ends of said pins being riveted over onsaid plate within said depressions, whereby the clutch member issecurely held against movement. member is also provided with an enlargedopening 41 extending therethrough having a serrated or toothed inneredge as indicated.

The driving member of the clutch is indicated at d2 and is vprovidedwith outwardly pr jecting pins 43 and an opening 421 having an upperflat wall 414i, rounded side walls 44h and a lower wall 4:4 having astop or cam surface 44d (see Fig. 6). The lower portion of the drivingmember is also provided with teeth 45 adapted to interfit with the teethof the opening 4:1 of the fixed mem ber 39. The opening 44 is adapted toreceive the actuator 37 on the shaft 32 and the opening el of the fixedclutch member 39 receives the driving member 42, the fixed clutch inem-A handle 3l is mounted on j Said clutchk ber and driving member 42 lyingin the same plane. Then the handle or crank on the lshaft 32 is notbeing operated one of the fiat sides of the actuator 37 engages the`upper flat wall 44a of the openingl 44 while its curved ends engage therounded side walls of said opening as shown in Fig. 2.

The driven member indicated at 46 is loosely carried on the shaft andcomprises a fiat disk provided with slots 47 therein slidably receivingthe pins 43 of the driving member 42. One of said slots carries a spring43 bearing against one of the pins 43 and acts to retain the drivingmember 42 in the position shown in Fig. 2 with its teeth 45 in lockedengagement with the teeth of the fixed member 39, whereby rotation ofthe shaft 32 will be prevented if rotation is attempted from the drivenmember 4.6 as will be readily understood.

The driven member 46 is provided with outwardly projecting` pins 49entering and interfitting with suitable openings in a pinion 50 looselymounted on the shaft, said pinion meshing with a large gear 51. lhen thecrank or handle is rotated the element 37 takes the position shown inFig. 6 or at right angles to said position depending on the direction ofrotation4 of the crank or handle. As the element 37 may not completelyrotate within the opening 44 it forces the driving member, against theaction of the spring 48, to move in a direction whereby the teeth 45will become disengaged from the teeth of the fixed member 39 after whichthe member 42 will rrotate with the shaft. Rotation of the shaft thuseffects a rotation of the driven member 46 due to .the pins 43 engagingin the slots 4i'. When the driven member rotates the pinion and largegear 51 likewise rotate lbecause of the connection between these partsas hereinbefore described. lVhen the crank or handle is 'released theparts automatically lock as the spring 48 bearing against one of thepins 43 acts to move the driving member 42 into its first positionwhereby its teeth 45 will engage the teeth of the fixed member 39, thepart 37 being also forced back into its normal position shown in Fig. 2.For all practical purposes the driven member 46 and pinion 50 may beconsidered one part, they being constructed of two parts merely forconvenience of manufacture.

The gear 5l fixed to a shaft 532 provided with ay flange 53 acting as astop to prevent a longitudinal movement ofthe gearthereon. One end ofsaid shaft 52 is hollowed out as at 54, this end of the shaft beingsupported by a depressed support pressed inwardly from the metal of theplate 4 'and enteringthe hollowed out por" tion 54. The other end of theshaft is mounted in an annular neck 56 pressed out from the metal of theplate 3 and forming a bearing for said shaft, a bushing 57 beingpreferably interposed between said bearing and shaft. The plate 3 isalso provided with an annular ridge or bead 53 pressed inwardly from theplate and acting as an anti-friction support slidably engaging the sideof the gear 5l and adapted to vprevent rocking thereof. The end of theshaft 52 is reduced and receives the sprocket 23 which is rotatabletherewith and which adapted to engage a shoulder 59 on the shaft toprevent va longitudinal movement of the sprocket thereon. The numeral 60indicates a bolt extending through the shaft and which is provided witha head 61 re ceived by the recess 54. The opposite end of said boltcarries-a washer 62 adapted to prevent removal of the sprocket from theshaft. The plate 4 is provided with an inwardly extending lug 63 cutfrom the metal to which one end of a counterba'lancing spring 64 issecured or hooked, the other end of said spring being secured or hookedto a lug 65 on the gear 5l. .The spring is supported and prevented fromspreading out-- wardly by additional lugs 66 on said gear and isprevented from too great an inward movement, which might tend tointerfere with the rotation of the shaft-52, by a semicircularlyshapedridge or head 67 pressed inwardly from the plate. Thecounter-balancing spring per se is old although in so far as we areaware the particular manner of mounting and holding the same in properposition as shown and described is new. The function of the spring is toassist in the raising of lthe window, the spring being wound up by thelowering of the window.

Referring now to the operation of the window controlling mechanismdescribed herein it will be seen that when the parts are in a positionof rest and no force is being applied to -the manual member 3l and shaft32, the spring 48 will cause the movable locking element 42 to be movedinto position to engage the teeth of the fixed clutch member 39. vWhenrotative force is applied to the operating shaft 32 the actuator 42 Vismoved away from the fixed clutch 39, the actuator' head 3T engagingagainst one of the side surfaces of the stop member 44d positioned atthe ends of the arcuate surfaces 44". Further rotation of the operatingshaft causes the driving member or movable clutch member 42, theoperated member 46, and gears 59 and 5l to be actuated with the resultthat the roller stud 29 and window l are elevated or lowered dependenton the direction of rotation of the operator. yWhen the handle 31 isagain released the spring 48 causes the movable clutch member 42v to bemoved into locking` engagement with the teeth of the fixed clutch member39.

This application is a division ofi'U. S. ap`

plication for Letters Patent for `window regulator, Ser. No. 557,470,filed Apr. 29, 1922.

Ve claim:

l. In a window regulator, a rotatable member, an actuator for saidrotatable member including a manual handle and an actuating shaft, anon-rotatable clutch member, and a slidable locking member adapted forengagement with said clutch n'ieinber,l said locking member beingautomaticallyv moved to clutching position and being moved tonon-clutching position by movement of said handle.

2. In a Window regulator, a rotatable member, means for rotating saidrotatable member or locking it against rotation, said means including amanual operating shaft and a non-iotatable clutch member, a lockingmember surrounding said shaft and slidable relatively thereto into orout of engagement with said clutch member'7 a crank controlled by saidoperator and arranged to engage said locking meinberto move the same tonon-clutching position.

3. In a window regulator, a rotatable member, means for rotating saidrotatable member or lockingit against rotation, said means including amanual operating shaft, a non-rotatable clutch member, a locking memberslidably arranged with respect to said operating shaft and having meansfor moving the saine into engagement with said clutch member, and meanscontrolled by said manual operating shaft for `ii'ioving said lockingmember away from said clutch member.

4. In a window regulator, a rotatable member and means operativelyconnecting said member to said window, means for ro tat-ing saidrotatable member, said means including a manual operating shaft, a fixedmember, a locking member arranged for rotation vvith or for slidingmovement with respect to said operating shaft, means tending to movesaid locking member outwardly with respect to said operating shaft intoengagement with said fixed member, and means carried by saidshaftoperating upon rotation of said shaft to withdraw said lockingmember.

5. In a Window regulator, a rotatable member and means operativelyconnecting said member to said window, means for rotating said rotatablemember, said means including a crank shaft, a fixed clutch meinber, aspringpressed locking member mounted for rotation With or with respectto said crankshaft and movable to position to engage said clutch member,`and a crank lformed on said crank shaft and arranged for limitedpivotal movement with respect to said locking member for controlling themovements of the latter.

6.In a window regulator, a rotatable member and means operativelyconnecting ber mounted for rotation with orwith respect to saidy crankshaft and movable to position to engage said clutch member, and

a flanged crank formed on said'crank shaft and arranged for limitedpivotal movement with respect to saidv locking member for controllingthe movements of the latter, the f fianged portion of said crank fittingWithin the recessed-portion of said locking member. 7. In a windowregulator, a rotatable member and means operatively connecting saidmember to said WindoW,1neans for rotating said rotatable member, saidmeans in-` cluding a manual operatingshaft, a fixed member, alockingmember arranged forrotation with or sliding movement with respect tosaid operating shaft, a slotted` driven member associatedfwith saidrotatable member for rotation therewith, a spring within the slot insaid driven member and engaging said locking member to move the sameoutwardly with respect tov said operating shaft into' engagement withsaid fixed member, and means carried by said shaft operating uponrotation of said shaft to withdraw said locking member.

8. In a window regulator, a lower rotatable member, a housing, a shaftmounted on said housing, an upper rotatable member mounted on saidshaft, a linear member extending over said rotatable members, fortransmitting motion, a gear onsaid shaft, a crank shaft, a pinionloosely carried thereby meshing With said gear, a fixed clutch inembersecured to said housing, a driving mei ber carried by said crank shaftand adapted to lock with said fixed member and a driven member engagingsaid pinion and connected to said driving member by a slidingengageinent-` f 9.In a window regulator, the combina tion with means forraising and lowering the window including atcrank shaft, a crank mountedthereon and' an actuator on said crank shaft, of a fixed clutchl memberhaving a toothed opening, a driving member within said toothed openinghaving a tooth adapted to engage the teeth of said opening anc adaptedto be rotated by the actuator on said crank shaft, a driven lmemberslidably engaging said driving member and means associated with saidvdriven member tending to move said driving member whereby its toothwill engage the teeth of said fixed member. y

l0. In a Window regulator, `the combination with means for raising andlowering the window including a crank shaft, a crank mounted thereon andan actuator on said Cil yadriving member' carried by said shaft andcrank shaft, of a fixed clutch member provided with locking meansthereon, a driving member supported by said actuator and provided withlocking means adapted to engage said first-'named locking means, adriven member slldably connected to said driving Vmen'iber and springmeans tendingk to move said driving member into position wherein theaforesaid locking means will engage each other. j

11.*In a Window regulator, the combination with means for raising andlowering the Window including a crank shaft, acrank mounted -thereon forrotating said shaft and an actuator carried by said shaft, of a fixedclutch member provided with locking means thereon, av dri-ving membervsupportedby said actuator, pins on said driving member, .a drivenmember having slots therein receiving said pins and a spring within oneof said slots engaging one of said pins.

12. In a window regulator, the combination with means for raising andlowering the window including a crank shaft, of a fixed membei'providedwith teeth thereon,

provided with inwardly projecting members having cam surfaces thereon,pins projecting from said fdriving member and a driven member providedYwith slots adapted to receive said inwardly projecting members and pinsand having fingers adapted to engage the teeth of said fixed member.

13. In a window regulator, the combination with mea-ns for raising andlowering the window including a crank shaft, of a fixed member provided.with teeth thereon, a driving member carried by said shaft and providedwith inwardly projecting members having cam surfaces thereon, projectingmeans on said dri-ving member, a jdrivel'i member provided with slotsadapted to receive said inwardly.projecting `members and having fingersadapted to engage the teeth of said fixed members, the sides kot saidslots being adapted to ride against the cam surfaces of said projectingmembers upon rotation of said shaft whereby said projecting means willengage said sides to drive the driven member and spring means acting tofret-ain said fingers land teeth in engagement with each other.

14. A clutch for a window `actuator' comprising a manual operatingmember, a fixed clutch member, a movable clutch member and an operatedmember, said movable clutch member having a recess for receiving saidmanual operating member, the latter having an operating extensionfitting within said recess and movable therein between predeterminedlimits for movin(jr said movable clutch member relatively to said fixedclutch member.

15. In combi-nation with a movable window, an actuating mechanism andclutch therefor comprising an operating shaft, a movable locking memberand an operated member loosely mounted on saidv shaft, means forcausing' said locking member and operated member to be rotated together,said means permitting bodily7 movement between said members, saidmovable locking member being provided with a plurality of recessedportions terminating in fixed stops, an actuating element supportedfixedly upon said operating shaft and fitting within recess and movablebetween said fixed stops for controlling said movable locking member.

16. In a window regulator, an actuating mechanism ,and clutch thereforcomprising an .operating shaft, a movable locking member `and a fixedlooking member, said locking members having cooperating engagementportions, Vsaid movable locking element having La recess formed with aktransverse wall and stop surfaces joined by arcuate portions, anactuating element secured to said operating shaft and positioned withinsaid recess normally in engagement lengthwise with said transverse wall,the

end portions of said actuating element being capable of movement aroundsaid arcuate portions into engagement with said stop surfaces.

17. In a window actuating mechanism, an operating shaft, a fixed lockingmember surrounding said shaft and having inwardly extending lockingteeth, an operated member, a movable locking member having means forengagement with the teeth on said fixed locking member and mounted forrotation with but for bodily movement with respect to said koperatedmember, an actuating element secured to said operating shaft and havinglmeans for engagement with said movable locking member for withdrawingthe `latter from engagement with the teeth on said fixed locking memberby rotation of said 4operating shaft.

1S. In a window actuating mechanisln, an

operating shaft, a fixed locking member surrounding said shaft andhaving inwardly extending locking teeth, an operated meniber, a Imovablelocking member having means for engagement with the teeth on said fixedlocking member and mounted for rotation with but for bodily movementwith respect to said operated member, an actuating element secured tosaid operating shaft and having means for engagement with said movablelocking member for withdrawing the latter from engagement with the teethon said fixed locking member by rota-v tion of said operating shaft andmeans for automatically moving said movable locking member intoengagement with the teeth on said fixed locking member upon release ofsaid operating shaft.

19. In a window actuating mechanism, an

operating shaft, a fixed locking member snrrounding said shaft andhaving inwardly extendingl locking teeth, an operated member, a movablelooking member having means for engagement with the teeth on said fixedlooking member and mounted for rotation with but tor bodily movementwith respect to said operated members, an actuating element secured tosaid operating shaft and having means for engagement with said movablelooking member for withdrawing the latter from engagement with theteethv on said Xed loekingmember by rotation of said operating'shaft andmeans for limiting relative rotation between said aetuating element andsaid movable operating member in both directions.

lSigned at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this27th day of April A. D., 1926.

PETER JOHN KURSCHEIDT. HARRY E. NGRWOOD. v

